The Diocese of Honolulu last year contributed $89,549 to the Holy Land through the Pontifical Good Friday Collection, according to the collection’s 2016 annual report.
A letter from the Commissariat of the Holy Land, dated Sept. 27, to Bishop Larry Silva thanking the diocese of its donation, called its generosity “a special grace for Christians in the Holy Land.”
According to the report, the average U.S. diocese gave about $70,000.
The money goes to the Franciscans who have been serving the Holy Land for 800 years. There they welcome pilgrims, maintain shrines, run parishes and schools and support refugee centers.
“This annual report of the Pontifical Good Friday Collection is a witness to the faith and perseverance of Christians living, working and praying in the Holy Land,” the letter said.
The letter also asks for support for the next Good Friday collection on March 30, 2018.
